FirstClub raises $23 mn funding, to cover most of Bengaluru before Diwali

BENGALURU: Quality-focused quick commerce startup FirstClub has raised $23 million in a Series A round led by existing backers Accel and RTP Global, with participation from Blume Founders Fund, 2am VC, Paramark Ventures and Aditya Birla Ventures. The company said the fundraise, closed roughly three months after launch, values it at about Rs 1,050 crore ($120 million).Founder and CEO Ayyappan R said FirstClub is building for India’s “mass-premium” households by prioritising curation and standards over 10-minute speeds. “Every product on our platform is tested, tasted and vetted end to end,” he said, adding that the company bans certain additives, batch-tests staples, and curates brands to reduce decision fatigue for shoppers.Since a June 2025 launch in Bengaluru, FirstClub has opened four “clubhouses” and listed more than 4,000 stock keeping units across fresh produce, packaged foods, bakery and dairy. It plans to add 35 clubhouses in six months and aims to cover most Bengaluru PIN codes before Diwali, with new fulfillment formats such as cafés and a daily subscription service. The company said the new capital will also support hiring and category expansion into kids’ food, pet food, nutraceuticals, home care, gifting and furnishings.In an interview with TOI, Ayyappan positioned FirstClub as an India-specific analogue to US-based Costcom, a curated, value-conscious assortment for households that are willing to pay a little more for quality, not a luxury store that doubles the grocery bill. He said about 90% of products are made in India and roughly 60% of the assortment is exclusive to FirstClub. The company eschews paid placement ads to avoid conflicts between margin and consumer interest, he added.On fresh produce, Ayyappan described process-level checks such as Brix (sweetness) and crunch tests for apples and said batch-level testing extends to categories like paneer, where FirstClub runs blind consumer panels before listing winners. He said the model targets households that want “grocery as involvement, not a chore,” and that women with young children account for the majority of buyers.FirstClub currently runs a central-warehouse-to-clubhouse network in Bengaluru, with four operational clubhouses in Bellandur, Whitefield, HSR Layout and Koramangala and a JP Nagar site coming up. He added that the delivery promise is under 30 minutes rather than 10 because consumer demand clusters around reliability and quality rather than extreme speed.The company is also preparing two membership layers: a daily-needs subscription for items such as milk, curd, tender coconut, fruits and vegetables, and a broader membership that unlocks a wider selection, pre-booked seasonal produce and additional discounts. Pricing for the membership is yet to be finalised.“India’s next wave of commerce will not be defined by speed alone, but by the assurance of quality and trust,” Accel partner Barath Shankar Subramanian said in a statement included with the funding announcement. RTP Global’s Nishit Garg and Paramark Ventures’ Chunsoo Kim also backed the thesis of curation and standards for everyday essentials, the company said.Quality-focused quick commerce startup FirstClub has raised $23 million in a Series A round led by existing backers Accel and RTP Global, with participation from Blume Founders Fund, 2am VC, Paramark Ventures and Aditya Birla Ventures. The company said the fundraise, closed roughly three months after launch, values it at about Rs 1,050 crore ($120 million).Founder and CEO Ayyappan R said FirstClub is building for India’s “mass-premium” households by prioritising curation and standards over 10-minute speeds. “Every product on our platform is tested, tasted and vetted end to end,” he said, adding that the company bans certain additives, batch-tests staples, and curates brands to reduce decision fatigue for shoppers.Since a June 2025 launch in Bengaluru, FirstClub has opened four “clubhouses” and listed more than 4,000 stock keeping units across fresh produce, packaged foods, bakery and dairy. It plans to add 35 clubhouses in six months and aims to cover most Bengaluru PIN codes before Diwali, with new fulfillment formats such as cafés and a daily subscription service. The company said the new capital will also support hiring and category expansion into kids’ food, pet food, nutraceuticals, home care, gifting and furnishings.In an interview with TOI, Ayyappan positioned FirstClub as an India-specific analogue to US-based Costcom, a curated, value-conscious assortment for households that are willing to pay a little more for quality, not a luxury store that doubles the grocery bill. He said about 90% of products are made in India and roughly 60% of the assortment is exclusive to FirstClub. The company eschews paid placement ads to avoid conflicts between margin and consumer interest, he added.On fresh produce, Ayyappan described process-level checks such as Brix (sweetness) and crunch tests for apples and said batch-level testing extends to categories like paneer, where FirstClub runs blind consumer panels before listing winners. He said the model targets households that want “grocery as involvement, not a chore,” and that women with young children account for the majority of buyers.FirstClub currently runs a central-warehouse-to-clubhouse network in Bengaluru, with four operational clubhouses in Bellandur, Whitefield, HSR Layout and Koramangala and a JP Nagar site coming up. He added that the delivery promise is under 30 minutes rather than 10 because consumer demand clusters around reliability and quality rather than extreme speed.The company is also preparing two membership layers: a daily-needs subscription for items such as milk, curd, tender coconut, fruits and vegetables, and a broader membership that unlocks a wider selection, pre-booked seasonal produce and additional discounts. Pricing for the membership is yet to be finalised.“India’s next wave of commerce will not be defined by speed alone, but by the assurance of quality and trust,” Accel partner Barath Shankar Subramanian said in a statement included with the funding announcement. RTP Global’s Nishit Garg and Paramark Ventures’ Chunsoo Kim also backed the thesis of curation and standards for everyday essentials, the company said.